Chelsea are on the hunt for Graham Potter ’s replacement after the former Brighton boss was sacked by Todd Boehly.
The Englishman was only appointed at Stamford Bridge back in September as Thomas Tuchel’s successor but has lasted just seven months before being jettisoned after failing to inspire an upturn in fortunes at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday proved to be the final straw with Potter winning just 12 of his games in the hotseat.
Former Brighton defender Bruno Saltor has been put in interim charge whilst the search for Potter’s replacement gets underway. With that being said, Mirror Sport takes a look at some of the candidates who could take the reins for the long-term future.
Julian Nagelsmann
The most obvious name out there, the German is currently out of work following his departure from Bayern Munich - ironically to be replaced by former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel. He was initially linked with a move to London rivals Tottenham in the aftermath of Antonio Conte ’s explosive exit.
Talks are reportedly in the pipeline between Chelsea and Nagelsmann and would be a welcome appointment at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham have more recently developed a habit of appointing former Chelsea bosses but the circumstances could be reversed sooner rather than later. Argentine coach Pochettino is currently out of work having seen his spell at French giants Paris Saint-Germain ended last summer.
He is hugely experienced in the Premier League following successful spells with Southampton and Spurs. Whether he would be tempted by the job at Chelsea remains to be seen but he is under consideration.
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Luis Enrique
A two-time LaLiga champion and a Champions League winner during his time at Barcelona, Spanish coach Luis Enrique is among a clutch of world class managers who are currently unemployed. His success at the Camp Nou led to Enrique being appointed as Spain boss in 2018.
He was not able to add to his trophy haul with his home country after a disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar. Enrique has been out of work since his sacking was confirmed back in December.
Brendan Rodgers
Potter became the second Premier League manager to lose his job on Sunday as he followed Brendan Rodgers - the Northern Irishman being moved on by Leicester. He was sacked after four years at the King Power Stadium and leading the club to their first-ever FA Cup success - ironically against Chelsea.
Rodgers has also been successful at Celtic and Liverpool, whilst he has ties to the Blues having acted as a coach under Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge earlier in his career.
Zinedine Zidane
One of the most successful managers on this list, the iconic former midfielder can boast two Spanish titles, three Champions Leagues and a whole host of other trophies on his CV. All of those successes came with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
His second spell with the club ended back in 2021 after a trophy-less campaign and Zidane has not had any other role since. That has not stopped him from being linked with a number of vacancies including at PSG and Manchester United.
Carlo Ancelotti
A name already familiar to Chelsea supporters, Italian coach Ancelotti won the Premier League and FA Cup during his first stint at Stamford Bridge. Since then, he has continued to bloat his personal trophy haul across spells with PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Ancelotti is already in a job at the current time but finds himself on uneasy ground at the Santiago Bernabeu following Real Madrid’s miserable defence of their LaLiga title. It might be a case of biding their time for Chelsea to secure his signature in the summer should the Spanish side decide to move him on anytime soon.
Thomas Frank
Arguably one of the managers of the season in the Premier League this term, Danish coach Frank is enjoying a brilliant campaign with Brentford. He has the Bees challenging for a place in Europe between now and the end of the season.
Given that Chelsea elected to poach Potter from a fellow Premier League club, they might be hesitant in doing so again regarding Frank despite his standout showings this season. They might also have a battle on their hands to get him considering he only penned a new deal in West London back in December.
Marco Silva
A surprise candidate to take over, Mirror Football has revealed that the Portuguese has plenty of admirers at Stamford Bridge having led Fulham to an impressive first campaign back in the Premier League.
He has previously had spells with Watford, Everton and Hull within English football.
